Abuja, August 13, 2025 – Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong today met with the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Corps’ headquarters in Abuja to press for the immediate reversal of the two-month extension of service imposed on Ms. Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye.
The meeting followed a formal petition submitted by Effiong on Tuesday, August 12, in which he described the extension as “unlawful and punitive,” and urged the NYSC to issue Uguamaye’s Certificate of National Service without delay.
“We have demanded that the DG take immediate steps to reverse this unjust extension. The law must apply equally to all Nigerians, and no Corps member should be subjected to arbitrary punishment,” Effiong said after the closed-door meeting.
It would be recalled that the case of Rita Uguamaye has generated significant public attention on social media, with many Nigerians viewing it as a test case for fairness and accountability within the NYSC system. The controversy comes on the heels of other recent public interest matters in Nigeria — including the August 10 Ibom Air incident in Uyo, where passengers protested alleged mistreatment by airline staff, and ongoing legal advocacy around police brutality and rights violations. In each of these cases, civil society actors have emphasized the importance of institutional transparency and the rule of law.
As of press time, the NYSC has not issued an official statement on the outcome of the meeting.
The letter read in part
